Spacecraft vehicle operators, from left, Robin Bahr, Kari Kern and Dustin Powers work at mission control in Longmont to direct satellites for DigitalGlobe in 2011. The nation's leading commercial provider of satellite imagery data employs 830 in Colorado.

A DigitalGlobe satellite image of Denver in 2002 includes Sports Authority Field at Mile High, top, and the Pepsi Center, bottom.

The Colorado Economic Development Commission approved $8.2 million in tax incentives Thursday for three companies that have pledged to create or locate nearly 1,000 jobs in the state over the next five years.

Longmont-based DigitalGlobe received approval for $4.4 million under the state’s job-growth-incentive tax-credit program in return for creating 505 jobs over the next five years.

The nation’s leading commercial provider of satellite imagery data employs 830 in Colorado and 1,300 total with other staff at sites in Virginia, Florida, Missouri, California and abroad.

The new jobs would pay an average annual wage of $95,520 a year.

DigitalGlobe has considered an expansion at its current headquarters in Longmont or a move to Thornton, Broomfield, Westminster or Virginia, which GeoEye, a rival it bought last year, called home.

“We would like for it to be Colorado,” said Tim Hascall, executive vice president of operations, after winning approval.

John Cody, president and CEO of the Longmont Area Economic Council, said the company’s current headquarters near the Diagonal Highway can be expanded but not enough to accommodate the expected growth.

“They looked at 150 sites all over north metro Denver, and they considered several sites in Longmont,” Cody said.

He expects DigitalGlobe will build a new facility in either Broomfield or Westminster to better balance the commute for executives living in the south metro area and technical staff on the north end.

The commission approved $2.6 million in job-growth credits to a Denver startup called Sympoz in return for creating 236 jobs over five years. Sympoz is best known for Craftsy.com.

The move was unusual given that the young company, founded in 2010, still relies on venture funding and isn’t profitable. The credits can be used only if a company has net income that generates a tax liability.

Medical-device maker Terumo Medical Corp. received approval for $1.25 million from the state’s strategic fund in return for bringing 250 jobs paying an average wage of $69,056 a year to its facility in Lakewood.

The commission also boosted a rebate for a Hallmark Channel series called “When Calls the Heart” to $2.7 million after the producer said it is likely the show will go from six episodes to 13. The pilot was shot in Alberta, Canada, but Hallmark would like to see the series shot in the U.S. if possible, said executive producer Brian Bird.

Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to unveil the location of the new Hallmark series Tuesday.

Aldo Svaldi has worked at The Denver Post since 2000. His coverage areas have included residential real estate, economic development and the Colorado economy. He's also worked for Financial Times Energy, the Denver Business Journal and Arab News.

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